Julia

Hey! I'm Julia, a sophomore at Bronx Science. I was born and raised a city girl from the Upper East Side, but I still like to think that I live in my own world. Being a princess in your own mind is all it really takes to make your day. I've been exposed to art throughout my entire life, whether it was going to the various museums around the city when I was younger or my inspiring art teacher in middle school. Art has always been something that I've been able to look to for self-expression. A lot of the time I get these strange ideas in the middle of the day and I'll think to myself, "I should papier-mâché that when I get home!" I've always been able to turn whatever I'm feeling into some form of art, and in a sense it's been a 'close friend' that I can go to about anything. I definitely want art to remain a part of my life even after high school, because I want to go into a career in the sciences. I like the idea of mixing art and science and even math, and I've considered architecture. I know that whatever I choose to do, art will remain an important aspect of me being me.

It's hard for me to pick out a specific artist that I like because I'm mostly fascinated by certain works of art, just as one might like a song by a band but not the whole album. However, I do love modern art and fashion. When I get the chance I like going to the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art and the New Museum. I also adore Rhode Island School of Design's galleries around the Providence area, because you never know what interesting projects and ideas are being shown. When I came across the Youth Insights program I was instantly drawn in by the mix of writing, collaborating, and making art. I also liked that each semester is different because the program is structured around artists in residence rather than skill building. The Youth Insights program seemed like the perfect way to indulge myself in something new and to gain perspective on art and the world from other teens living in the New York City area, as well as from an artist. It's amazing to be able to have in depth conversations with people who I never would have met were it not for this program, and to be exposed to a whole new realm of art that goes beyond visiting museums occasionally.

Julia’s Artwork

The possible outcomes of events in my life as viewed by the rest of the city.
Julia
YI Artist, Fall 2012

Watercolor paper, magazines, scissors, rubber cement, sharpie

This project is a reflection of how peoples’ emotions are largely portrayed in their facial expressions. I wanted to encompass the uncertainty of the future that Beth puts in her work, but I also wanted to put a more realistic twist on my own work. In reality, our only way into what others are feeling at first glance is through their facial expressions, so I wanted to express the possible outcomes of events not through words but through emotions about them- which can be seen in facial expressions. And yet, a smile can be deceiving.

When I got the mug back from being sawed, it was very weird to have a chunk of it missing in such a mannerly way- the complete opposite of what would have happened were I to drop the mug. Similarly, it’s a fascinating thing to see the insides of a book cut out. Before I put the candle wax in the book, it almost looked like the inside of a canyon. This reminds me of what Beth said about ‘playing with the reality of things.’
The idea behind this project was capturing a moment in time. The moment is that of someone sitting down and reading a book, sipping coffee, but then dropping their mug and spilling coffee on the book. This is such a universal moment and yields a very universal reaction of yelling, “Oh, shit!” thus giving me a title for the piece.

YI Artists worked with artist in residence Beth Campbell on a variety of projects inspired by Beth’s own artistic investigations. To learn more about these projects, please click through. Photograph by Correna Cohen

The possible outcomes of events in my life as viewed by the rest of the city. (detail)